Pa Powers of Attorney – 2 – HIPAA

Pa Powers of Attorney – 2 – HIPAA

One of HIPAA’s requirements was the establishment of the Privacy Rules.

Prior to the HIPAA Privacy Rules (which were enacted in their current form on August 14, 2002), there was a confusing mélange of federal and state laws to govern the transmission of, and access to, health information.

HIPPA’s Privacy Rules

Under these pre-existing laws, an individual’s health information could be shared freely between doctors, hospitals, insurers, and third party payers, without either notice to, or authorization from, the individual.

HIPPA’s Minimum Standards

In an attempt to curtail this free disclosure of personal health information, the HIPAA Privacy Rules set federal minimum standards for the disclosure of an individual’s private health information.

The rules attempt to strike a balance between the necessary disclosures of health care information and the privacy interests of those who seek medical care.

The rules attempt to strike a balance between the necessary disclosures of health care information and the privacy interests of those who seek medical care.

Given that the health care marketplace is diverse, the rules are designed to be flexible and comprehensive to cover the variety of uses and disclosures that need to be addressed.